The service, offered via the bank’s Pingit app, theoretically gives every Twitter user in the UK (around 13.5m people) the ability to make secure payments through the social network – without needing to provide their bank details.

Any user of Pingit – even those who don’t bank with Barclays – can take advantage of the new feature. Payments to friends, family and small businesses can be transacted in just three clicks; there is a daily spending limit of £1,500.

Pingit, which currently boasts 3.7m users, was launched three years ago; to date, more than £1bn has been sent using the app, and 57,000 companies are now registered.

Barclays has sought to allay fears about online payment security by reassuring customers that all while the payments can be made between Twitter users, they won’t be made through the social network; the enhanced security and protections for Pingit payments will still apply.

“We are always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to make lives easier and customer feedback plays a big part in how we chose to further develop our apps,” said Darren Foulds, director of Barclays Mobile Banking. “This is a new step forward for mobile payments in the UK.”

The service is due to launch on 10 March, and will be available on both Android and Apple devices.